St Johnstone manager Callum Davidson has singled out Celtic star Greg Taylor for praise after the 24-year-old helped Scotland secure promotion from their Nations League group over the international break.
Scotland required seven points from their Nations League fixtures to guarantee promotion from their group and the benefits of a kinder draw for Euro 2024 qualification, as well as the bonus of a safety net playoff should they not secure second place in their group.
The former Scotland coach picked out the left back, the same position Davidson played in his professional career, after Taylor deputised to great effect for Scotland’s injured first choice left-sided defensive pair in Kieran Tierney and Andy Robertson.
As reported by Football Scotland, he said: “You want your best players in the team but it says a lot about the players coming in and their characters. Big results in those circumstances give the rest of the guys in the squad massive belief.
“The likes of Greg probably know they’re not going to get quite as many games. It’s a tough ask for him when you have Tierney and Robertson.
“But what an attitude he showed. Greg was really good. Aaron Hickey is a left-footed left-back as well, so it shows the versatility that he can play on the right where we’ve got Nathan Patterson too.”
Taylor played in all three Scotland games during the international break, starting Tuesday’s 0-0 draw in Krakow against Ukraine that secured Nations League promotion.
Fitting praise for Taylor who continues to find new levels
The appraisals continue to pour in for Taylor who continues to defy expectations at Celtic.
With three Premier League left-backs ahead of him in the pecking order, and Scotland favouring a system ill-suited to Taylor’s strengths, many would have assumed that his international career would be short-lived, but he has earned his place and excelled when given an opportunity.
After a stellar first season under Postecoglou, Taylor has found new heights this campaign, and has been one of the best players in the Scottish Premiership so far, as the perfect cog in the Aussie’s system.
Despite not being the flashiest or most dynamic full-back by modern standards, Taylor’s positional awareness and strength on the ball have made him nigh-impossible to drop, despite the highly anticipated arrival of Alexandro Bernabei in the summer.
Should he maintain his form, it will go a long way to ensuring that Celtic are able to build on last season’s double-winning campaign, both domestically, and on the European stage.
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